2016 NFL Mock Draft: February edition
26th Pick – Seattle Seahawks (10-6)
Matt Ioannidis – DT
Temple – Senior
6-4, 303 Pounds
Why the Seahawks are so successful is because they will pick up the players who fit there system better then those who might be more skilled. The Seahawks have a great defense with extended capabilities, they could have the best defense by the start of the 2016 season, but they just need to continue to build. Their ground floor is built with Bobby Wagner, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, K.J. Wright, and Kam Chancellor. Problem with that is that they spent so much money on those guys that they aren’t able to keep everyone, but I guess that is why they selected a few guys. Kevin Pierre-Louis can replace Bruce Irvin, Tharold Simon can replace DeShawn Shead and Jeremy Lane, and Jordan Hill and Frank Clark can replace Brandon Mebane. That just leaves nose tackle.
With Ahtyba Rubin seeming like a stop-gap for the Seahawks defensive line, I think that the Seahawks are just a draft away to find a permanent solution. Matt Ioannidis was one of the few starters to continually start for the Temple Owls, and proved to be a staple of their defense. Ioannidis has great get-off, makes plays behind the line, and seems to have a nose for sniffing out plays. The Seahawks need guys who can create lanes for their linebackers, and Ioannidis is not quite there yet. Matt is a big boy, though he isn’t in the best build quite yet for a nose tackle job. Could use some grooming in hand placement also.
With many of the bottom-tier teams trying to find a winning formula, the Seahawks have hit gold while pushing for excellence. They continually build to becoming a perennial super bowl canidate every year with strong draft classes, and have one of the best coaching staffs in the NFL. They also make questionable (at the time) draft selections that has a lot of the draft experts scratching their heads, but they know what they are doing.
Player Comparison: Henry Melton – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Next: The Packers are on the clock